The Care of Hair

I shall add an answer from the male perspective that does little if anything on a practical basis for your original question. The last time I had hair long enough to comb was nearly 20 years ago, but I do remember having the hassle of using a blow dryer and having a justifiable reason to carry a comb with me. Having hair the length that Jack Lord had in my current avatar (basically his look the entire series) would be driving me crazy quickly.
These days I love the feel of a clean shaven scalp, while the beard comes and goes as my job/schedule/whims/etc dictate.

 

I'll give a fuller answer later, but here's a quick response.

I love the Lauren Conrad blowout method.

 

Wash it daily with Suave Daily Clarifying or 365 Herbal Mint shampoo, condition with Aveeno moisturizing conditioner. Once a week I use Neutrogena Triple Moisture deep conditioner. Wrap it in a towel for 15 minutes, comb, flip upside down, part, let air dry. Get in car, turn on air conditioning or heater to finish it off on the way to work or wherever. I've learned not to brush it until it's dry, unless I want to shape the ends. The top gets flatter than usual. Pretty simple. Albeit, my hair gets pissed when I fuss with it and is rather perverse in its cooperation.

 

Totally worthless post:
I'm now in lust with Lauren Conrad.

Nearly worthless post since I'm a guy:
I wash my hair five times a week using Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 dry scalp formula. It does a pretty good job of conditioning so that my hair doesn't 'fly away.' If I really want my hair under control I use Groom & Clean "Greaseless Hair Control" which is really cheap but effective. How much I use depends on how long my hair is. I usually keep it cut very short for low maintenance.

Mentioning thick hair....in my youth I tried to grow my hair really long. It looked like shit. The problem was (and still is as I have a full head of hair at 53) my hair grows three inches in thickness for every inch in length. Also I have two noticeable 'cowlicks,' one in the crown and one at the front, along with a widows peak. No long straight hair parted down the middle for me. This drove me crazy when I was younger, it wasn't until after I turned 40 that I was thankful for my 'crazy hair.'

 

I have long, thick, tangle-y hair.

This is my all time favorite detangler:


It is amazing, and at $3.99 a bottle, it's a great deal.

 

Favorite hair tip:

I hate it took me so long to realize this, but it's been amazing. My hair is a grease pit. I've tried so many times to do the "oh, if you wash it less, your hair will naturally adjust!"

No. It doesn't. The only time my hair was ever less greasy was when I was on Accutane. If I want to wear my hair down, I have to wash it every day. It gets greasy by the end of the day. Whine whine whine.

So, like everyoen with greasy hair, I've tried to be best friends with dry shampoo. I've tried so many brands, but can never get the effect I want. I'm either still greasy, of I have the powdery residue that won't leave.

So. I finally found something that works. Drumroll...

PUT IN YOUR DRY SHAMPOO BEFORE BED.

I can't believe it. It's so simple. It's so logical. I can spray in enough to absorb all the grease that will pop up overnight, and since I roll around, all of that movement really works the dry shampoo into my roots. I wake up with supermodel hair.

 

Yep, I do that too. Then just brush and go!

 

I have no hair tips. I abused my hair to much when I actually had enough that needed care (hashtag: "I have no idea what I'm doing"). I just have to say that every single time this thread pops up with a new response, I want to add "...and feeding..." to its title. And then I giggle.

/threadjack

 

Some people might remember when I had long hair. I was the same way. I tried the shampoo-free bullshit and it just resulted in a buildup of grease. What I discovered was JR Liggett shampoo bars. It's a traditional-style oil soap with a few oils that are supposedly good for hair and turned out to be the perfect thing for me. Even now with my hair short it feels great and keeps my hair clean without letting it get too dry. It also only costs $4 or so per bar, which lasts as long as a big bottle of shampoo would. I would recommend that anyone who isn't 100% happy with their current shampoo try it. My brother still has long hair and it's the only thing he really likes.

 

I inherited my mother's mediterranean genetics, which means rather than hair I have a dense natural ballistic helmet composed of several pounds of slightly curly titanium wires. Since those picturesque davidian curly locks are also heavy, sweaty, and take a ridiculous amount of upkeep I follow DamnitAll's school of thought and buzz it down until it's too short even to comb.

I do still have to take care of my scalp though, which is why I don't just grab whatever's cheapest. So far Suave naturals (coconut) works best for me out of the shampoos and conditioners I've used. A good daily scrubbing and conditioning keeps me from looking like I've been cutting sheetrock or greasing engines overhead.

 

I can recommend this method myself. When I take the time to finish it properly I use the damned expensive but still worth it to me Mach 3 razors and shaving cream on the scalp. 'Unfortunately' those razor blades are frequently unable to cut any hair that falls under the "face" section and just cannot touch my chin or moustache.

 

I tried that once. Turns out I'm fat and the buzz cut accentuates it.

 

I can't do short hair at all because as my ex-husband called it, I have a "pie-face."

I used to wash my hair every single day but then mother nature sprung my late forties on me and I chose to have light highlights which dried out my hair, too.
I prefer my hair down when I go out but I have super-thick hair so if it's hot, it goes in a ponytail or in a hair claw. I have my hair layered so I can have a it on either side, loose, to minimize the pie face.

I wash it every other day with Matrix Biolage Colour Care Shampoo and use the matching conditioner. I use just a wee bit of Herbal Essence Set Me Up Mousse to de-tangle my hair. It takes forever to dry so I try to let it air dry an hour before I blow dry. While still wet, I hit my bangs with a tiny touch of Matrix Proforma hairspray.

At night, I put it in a pony tail and use hairpins to keep my hair off my face--which has uber moisturizer on it. If it's really late at night when I wash it, I put it up in a hair claw--on top of my head--not the back. It is still wet in the morning and I blow it dry.